Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard
Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana going into Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard on July 26 (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN). (Official NASCAR Statistical Advance)
INDIANAPOLIS-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 13.100, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 12.649, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.3, ninth-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.968, eighth-fastest
· 1062 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4), eighth-most
· 217 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota)
· Two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 13.556, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.450, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.0, 11th-best
· 12 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.683, 13th-fastest
· 845 Laps in the Top 15 (58.7), 11th-most
· 194 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 SKITTLES Toyota)
· Three top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 10.600, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.311, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 98.5, sixth-best
· 64 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.317, sixth-fastest
· 1178 Laps in the Top 15 (73.6), sixth-most
· 297 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 13.400, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 16.619, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.9, 13th-best
· 44 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.725, 12th-fastest
· 819 Laps in the Top 15 (51.2), 12th-most
· 263 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 7.900, third-best
· Average Running Position of 10.869, second-best
· Driver Rating of 105.6, second-best
· 157 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.820, series-fastest
· 1252 Laps in the Top 15 (78.3), second-most
· 315 Quality Passes, second-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
· Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.333, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.540, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.6, 10th-best
· 54 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.251, seventh-fastest
· 851 Laps in the Top 15 (59.1), 10th-most
· 227 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John's/ Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.500, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.532, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.7, eighth-best
· 34 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.740, 11th-fastest
· 1057 Laps in the Top 15 (66.1), ninth-most
· 254 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 KOBALT TOOLS Chevrolet)
· Four wins, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.800, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 10.911, third-best
· Driver Rating of 108.1, series-best
· 173 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.814, second-fastest
· 1192 Laps in the Top 15 (74.5), fifth-most
· 248 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 14.400, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 11.911, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.1, fifth-best
· 102 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.415, fifth-fastest
· 1237 Laps in the Top 15 (77.3), fourth-most
· 299 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Seven top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 12.600, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.194, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.6, seventh-best
· 18 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.948, ninth-fastest
· 1238 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4), third-most
· 282 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Two top 10s
· Average finish of 14.000, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.489, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.2, 12th-best
· 30 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.882, 10th-fastest
· 371 Laps in the Top 15 (46.4), 13th-most
· 104 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
· One top 10
· Average finish of 7.000, series-best
· Average Running Position of 9.212, series-best
· Driver Rating of 104.4, third-best
· 2 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.538, third-fastest
· 148 Laps in the Top 15 (92.5), series-most
· 36 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 7.800, second-best
· Average Running Position of 11.608, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.9, fourth-best
· 98 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.478, fourth-fastest
· 1095 Laps in the Top 15 (68.4), seventh-most
· 319 Quality Passes, series-most
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 20 of 36 (07-26-15)
Track Size: 2.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 9 degrees
Banking/Straights: 0 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 3,330 feet
Backstretch Length: 3,300 feet
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Indianapolis
Jimmie Johnson........................ 108.1
Jeff Gordon.............................. 105.6
Kyle Larson............................... 104.4
Tony Stewart............................. 101.9
Kasey Kahne............................. 100.1
Kyle Busch................................. 98.5
Matt Kenseth.............................. 96.6
Kevin Harvick.............................. 92.7
Greg Biffle.................................. 92.3
Denny Hamlin............................. 90.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
188.470 mph, 47.753 secs. 07-25-14
2014 race winner:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
150.297 mph, (02:39:41), 07-27-14
Track qualifying record:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
188.889 mph, 47.647 secs. 07-25-14
(Set in Round 1 of 3)
Track race record:
Bobby Labonte, Pontiac
155.912 mph, (02:33:56), 08-05-00
At Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
History
· Indianapolis Motor Speedway has existed since 1909, and is the original "Speedway," the first racing facility to incorporate the word into its name.
· With a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000-plus people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was August 6, 1994 – won by Jeff Gordon.
Starts
· There have been 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; one per year from 1994 through 2012.
· 138 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; 107 in more than one.
· Two drivers have competed in all 21 races at Indianapolis: Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte.
Poles
· Rick Mast won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Indianapolis in 1994 with a speed of 172.414 mph.
· 17 drivers have Coors Light poles at Indianapolis, led by Jeff Gordon with three.
· Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Indianapolis: Jeff Gordon (1995-96) and Ernie Irvan (1997-98).
· Youngest Indianapolis Coors Light pole winner: Reed Sorenson (07/29/2007 – 21 years, 5 months, 24 days).
· Oldest Indianapolis Coors Light pole winner: Mark Martin (07/26/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 17 days).
· Reed Sorenson (07/29/07) is the only active driver to post his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Wins
· 12 different drivers have won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Gordon with five; followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson, with four.
· Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to have posted consecutive wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2008 and 2009).
· Youngest Indianapolis winner: Jeff Gordon (08/06/1994 – 23 years, 0 months, 2 days).
· Oldest Indianapolis winner: Bill Elliott (08/04/2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 27 days).
· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Indianapolis in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with nine; followed by Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing with three each.
· Four different manufacturers have won at Indianapolis; led by Chevrolet with 16 victories; followed by Ford (three), Dodge and Pontiac each have one.
· Chevrolet has won the last 12 consecutive NSCS races at Indianapolis – the longest active win streak by a manufacturer in the NSCS at a single track.
· Only three of the 21 (14.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from the Coors Light pole: Kevin Harvick (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2008) and Ryan Newman (2013).
· The pole and the third-place starting positions are the most proficient starting positions in the field, each producing three winners - more than any other starting positions at Indianapolis.
· Five of the 21 (23.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from the front row: three from the pole and two from second-place.
· 13 of the 21 (65%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Three of the 21 (14.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Indianapolis is 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
· Six of the seven active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon won the Brickyard 400 in his first start at Indianapolis.
· Ryan Newman competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in 2013; the longest span of any the seven active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
· Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth lead the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Indianapolis without visiting Victory Lane at 15 each.
· Paul Menard (07/31/11) is the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to have posted his first career NSCS win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Additional Finishing Positions
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace leads the series in runner-up finishes at Indianapolis with three; followed by Kyle Busch Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth with two each.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Indianapolis with 12; followed by Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth with seven each.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Indianapolis with 17; followed by Tony Stewart and Mark Martin with 11 each.
· Ryan Newman leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Indianapolis with a 7.143.
· Jeff Gordon leads NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Indianapolis with a 8.381.
Track Specific Stats
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the August 3, 1997 race won by Ricky Rudd over Bobby Labonte with a MOV of 0.183 second.
· Four out of the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have had a MOV larger than one second.
· Only one of the 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2004 (160/161).
· None of the 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
· Qualifying has not been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Indianapolis with 528 laps led in 21 starts.
Female Competitor Stats
· Danica Patrick became the first female driver to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2013.
· Shawna Robinson (08/05/01) is the only other female driver to attempt to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis, but she failed to qualify for the event.
Photos: Getty Images for NASCAR and NASCAR (R)